Electronic prescription errors raise concerns

The Ohio State Board of Pharmacy is investigating reports of pharmacists catching errors--including wrong drug names, wrong doses and incomplete directions--in their electronic prescription systems. (Source: "Doctors' orders might be muddled," Columbus Dispatch, Feb. 16, 2008.) While errors with electronic prescriptions are extremely low, experts say any medication error is cause for concern. No one knows if these mistakes arise as a result of human error or software glitches in doctors' offices and pharmacies. However, part of the problem could be that 37 different electronic prescription programs are in use in Ohio. SureScripts, a Virginia company that links doctors and pharmacies electronically, says e-prescriptions total about 2% of total prescriptions each year. According to Tim Maglione of the Ohio State Medical Association, the fear of error and the lack of uniform standards for software programs are some of the reasons that physicians are slow to embrace electronic prescriptions.

"Industry officials estimate that 74 million electronic prescriptions are filed each year, and that number is expected to grow. A bill in the U.S. Senate would require doctors who accept Medicare payments to write electronic prescriptions by 2011."